Utility container



ug- 12, 1952 J. w.JAQUET1-E ETAL UTILITY CONTAINER 2 Sl-IEETS--SI-IEET lFiled March 26, 1949 Aug- 12, 1952 J. w. JAQUl-:TTE ET AL UTILITYCONTAINER 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed March 26, 1949 Patented Aug'. 12,h 1952s `j lainesW't'Jaquetteand irginiav R. Jaquette,

1 n 3'- l s Santa Monica, Calif.

i 'Applieati'ii'rrarh 26, 1931s. serial No. '83,584 y 1' .i 449 Claims.

vinvention' relates't'o afutilityI container and more particularly' to'a' container having one or 'more cover members' which arereadilyy'removable for cleaning but Whicharefso constructed 'andarranged' as to'preventinadvertent'di as,- sen'ibly of the partsf if?"The novel' `oontaliner;ic'omprisfesl a ii e d casing member having` anopen 'topand having one or more sliding cover `panels adaptedtoclose'the top and to bemoved to' a: position giving access 'to thecontents Without `re'rnoval 'f r "or r`1` the'casing. However, bycontinued movement in YtheV opening direction the panels may beA readilyremoved'. to facilitate cleaning. This is ahighl esirable feature inlunch boxes. 'L 0ne of the serious` `d s advantagefs 0f the ordinarylunch 'or `utility box having fa] cover `hinged along one edg'ef'and a'carryinghandleonjthe upper'su'rface or 'the cover is 'that :the latchesfrequently disengage, allowing thel bottornj por,- tion to' swing aboutthe hingeLWhereupongthe contents will fall out and any fragile.art'ic1e, s u `ch as a vacuum bottle', willlzie broken .orbadly darn'-ag'edasa'result. p'- L j j In the -presentinvention the pflellmemb'ersand Vtheir carrying 4'handles vare so arrangedlthat the load tends 'topull the` panels toward-'the fully'closed position and there `is no`possibility o f separation While the container i's'fb'ein'g carried bythe handle o r handles..` In fact, it is necessary to exertiorce in theopposite directionftocause op'eie.. 4'-*z'iother disadvantage jofcontainers' having hinged'lids is that th'eyare clumsy tohandlewhencleaning and it is diihc'ultlto .clean 'fthe hinge portions. l In'thefpresent invention'gthe cover portions are readily removableV4 for'.'ease .Orhandiing and" au' parts can he" ej'tnoro''ghiy cleaned.VMoreovei'l thejcover portions when opened'do not' extendf out fromgtheremainder' of] the., con.- tainer and; hence iti`sg1nuch more convenientto use.` i: The presently' preferred embodiments of. the inventionareillustrated 'in'the accompanying drawings in which: j `Figure 1' is aperspective view of one form of the container;

Figure 2 is a sectional viewltaken online 42--2 of Figure 1 with onecover panel in open position; Figure 3- is a transversesectionalview'of' a cover panel; Figure 4 is atop plan `view of said panel;

Figure 5 is a frontl elevationalv view off said panel; f '1 Figure 6 isa sectional view taken on line' 6-'-6 ofFigureZ'; l1 .Y

"Figure '7is a sectionalfview taken oni line.` 1-1 of Figure 2;

Figure 8 is a perspective view of a modied'form ofpanel; .l

V lii'gure 9 is aperspective View of *.amodied form ofcasing;'and '.1' fFigure 10 is a'perspectivefviewV of a panel adapted for 'use with thecasing of-Figure 9.@ The casing 10,' as 'seen in Figures'.v 1` and`2,includes a flat -bottom I2, vertical side walls f4, andVertical-end-Walls I6. the latter'extendingabove the 'side walls andhaving arched upperportions I8 which may have any desired curvature;either of constant radius orvarying from point t'opoint. The Avertical'edges of the end WaIIseitend laterally beyond the' side Walls Aand are'flanged at 20'1to form grooves' o'r guideways'22 'between them and theside Walls as clearly shown in 'Fig'- ilre'i; I' The flanges 20arecontinuous along Lthe side andupper 'edges `of the 'end walls, andnarrow :secondary flanges or ridges 24,'seen` in Figure 6, are'formed onthe inner faces' of the end walls in continuation of side Walls I4 tomake 'guideway's 22 co'extensive with the flanges 20. Abutments 25 arelocated in the 'guideways atthemidpoints of the arched portions for apurpose later to be described. I

AV pair of substantially identical vrectangular panel's28 are slidablymounted in g'uideways 22 'for movementv to closed and open positions.'Each panel has cutaway 'portions'S'D at thecorne'rs'of its inner edge.When a panel is' moved tocldsed position it contacts' ab'tments 26.rThe''cutattili/ay portions are approximately one half the thicknessfo'fthe abutments so that the inner edges 32 will reach to the center lineof the casing and contact each other. Y Each panel has an extent in'theA direction of the guideways slightly greater than one half thelength of the arched Aportions so that their outer edges 34 willslightly overlap the upper edges of the side walls, vas seen atthe leftof Figure 2, and complete the closureof the container. 3

Handley portions 36 are provided separately or integrally on the inneredge of each panel and when the container is completely closed theycooperate to ffo'rm a virtual single handle for carrying purposes. Itwill be apparent, that, when the container is picked up by the handles,the cover panels are positively held in closed postion. Moreover, whenone panel is opened, the container canfs'till be fheld in uprightposition Vby bearing portion of the panel.

the handle on the other panel. To insure against pulling out of thepanels in the load carrying positions the anges 20 are widened acrossthe arched portion to provide greater overlap. n

When the container is resting on a support such as a table top and apanel 28 is moved to open position its outer edge 34 will contact thetable top, which will prevent its unintentional removal from theguideways.' If it is desiredfaninwardly extending stop 38 may beprovided immediately below the handle 36. The stop will normally engagethe upper edge of wall I4 but, since thereis 4 general manner as theform previously described.

A partition 58 divides the casing into upper and lower compartments 6uand 62 respectively, the upper compartment being open at the top. Arectangular aperture 64 is formed in at least one side wall 54 toprovide access to the lower compartment. Flanges 66 cooperate with theother parts of the casing to form guideways 68 substantially identicalwith those vof the form of invention illustrated in Figures 1 and 2'.l

The upper portion of panel 'I0 in Figure 10 is similar to panel 28 butit is elongated sufliciently some flexibility in the parts, they may bespread., 3

far enough to allow the stop to pass along the outer surface of the wallto disengage thepanel from the guideways. Y

The curvature of the medial portion. .of the panel when in the closedposition gives it sufficient stiffness to resist bending loads. Theelongated handle member 36 stifl'ens the inner edge and similarstiffening may be obtained at the outer edge by applying a reinforcingmember 40. 'This member also serves as ta handle or abutment for openingthe panel by downward pressure on the abutment.rv L

The casing may be made of any desired material, such as metal orplastic. The latter material when sliding on similar material tends to.bind and gall. This difficulty can be overcome by providinganti-friction material 4I on the rllhe material may be of; any typehaving satisfactory properties such: as metal orjcloth.. One which hasbeen found satisfactory is ,aA flock of fibrous material.

f Althothe container may have any desired general outline the form shownin Figure 2 is relativelywide and low so that when serving as a lunchbox it will accommodate rtwo vacuum -bottles side byl side. `Thesebottles 42,v shown in .phantom lines, are supported on brackets 44, oneon each end wall I6. The brackets are double arched to hold the bottlesin spaced relation and, as seen in Figure 6, extend inwardly beyond the`flanges 20 so ,that a bottle which will pass the flanges will properlycontact the brackets. The latter are located well above the bottom I2 toprovide space for sandwiches or other items. When-one panel 28 is openedit provides sufficient space-for the passage of one bottle.

In the more conventional form of box which is higher and narrower a pairof singlev arched 4brackets may be used to hold one bottle. In such formit is also -possible toA utilize a single cover panel with a handlelocated at its midpoint.

:Such panel may be moved along the guideways in either directiontouncover the opening. n

` 1 Vlhile the arrangement shown includes inwardly facing grooves toreceive the panel edges itis within the contemplation of the inventionto provide any suitable type of guideways such as outwardly facingflanges, and to use. cooperating reversely bent edges on the panels.. Amodified cover panel is shown in Figure 8 in which the sheet 46 hasrelatively heavy and light longitudinally extending sections 48 and 5Uconnected in smooth curves. This gives comparative stiiness in thedirection of the sections 48 and comparative flexibility at right anglesthereto.

'I'he embodiment illustrated in Figures 9 and 10 is intended to besubstantially larger than the first embodiment andis suited to a Varietyof purposes such as a mending box,.clothes hamper, etc. It includes acasing having a bottom 52, side walls 54, and end walls 56 extendingsomewhat above the'side walls and arched in the same l5 A shape to theaperture 64.

to form a closure over aperture 64 when the panel is in its upper limitposition. An aperture I2 is formed in the panel 'I0 corresponding insize and When the panel is in the upper limit position the aperture 'I2overlies the area 'I4 and hence the container is completely closed. Whenthe panel is lowered until that' various vchanges and modifications maybe made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departingfrom the invention and it is intended that all such changes andmodifications shall be embraced within the scope of the followingclaims.

We claim:

1. A utility container comprising: a casing having a bottom, side walls,andA end walls; said end walls rising above said bottom a greaterdistance than said side walls and having curved upper margins; guidewaysformed von the inwardly facing surfaces of said end walls; and a pair offlexible panels mounted for sliding movement in said guideways; each ofsaid panels being of substantially the same size and their combinedextent in the direction of said guideways being suicient to cover theopening at the top -of the casing and to slightly overlap the upperedges of said side walls; said guideways extendingdown the outer facesof the side walls to the bottom of the casing and' being open at theirlowerv ends to provide ready removal of said panels.

2. A container comprising: a casing havi bottom, side walls, and endwalls, and being open at the top; said end walls rising above the topedges of said side walls; guideways on said end walls having archedupper portions; cover ypanels slidably engaging said guideways andmovable to cover anduncover the openy upper end of said casing; a handlemember on each of said panels adjacent their meeting edges and adaptedto cooperate to form a virtual single'handle when said panels areinjuxtaposition toeach other.

3. A container comprising: a casing having a bottom, side walls, and endwalls, and being. open at the top; guideways on said end walls extendingsubstantially vertically adjacent and exterior to said side walls andbeing open at their lower ends for removal of said panels; cover panelsslidably engaging said guideways and adapted;y in lowered position, tolie closely adjacent and exterior to said side walls; and abutmentscarried by the inner faces of said panels adapted normally to engage theupper edges of said side walls to prevent inadvertent removal of saidpanels from said casing.

4. A container as claimed in claim 3; said panels being deflectab-le todisengage said abutments from said side walls for disassembly of saidpanels.

5. A container comprising: a casing having a bottom, side walls, and endwalls, and being open at the top; guideways on said end walls havingarched upper portions traversing the open top of said casing; coverpanels slidably engaging said guideways and adapted to cover said opentop when located in the upper portions of said guide- Ways and touncover said open top when located in the lower portions of saidguideways; handle portions adjacent the upper edges of said panels topull them to closed position; and abutments adjacent the lower edges ofsaid panels to push them to open position.

6. A container comprising: a casing having a bottom, side walls, and endwalls, and being open at the top; guideways on said end walls;supporting brackets extending from a medial portion of the inner face ofeach end Wall to support a container of somewhat smaller lateral andlongitudinal dimensions within said casing and in spaced relation to thebottom thereof; and cover means slidably engaging said guideways andmovable to one position to close the open top` of said casing and toanother position t0 provide a sufficiently large opening for removal ofsaid second container.

7. A container comprising: a casing having a Ibottom, side Walls, andend walls, and being open at the top; guideways formed on said endwalls, each guideway being formed with a pair of upright, relativelystraight and parallel portions joined at their upper ends by an archedportion; a shelf within said casing intermediate the top` and bottom ofsaid side walls and dividing the casing into upper and lowercompartments; at least one access opening formed in a side wall foraccess to the lower compartment; and a pair of cover panels slidablyengaging said guideways; at

least one of said cover panels being of sufficient vertical extent toreach from the bottom of the access opening to the midpoint of saidarched portions; and an opening formed in an intermediate portion ofsaid panel and adapted to register with said access opening in oneposition of said panel.

8. A utility container comprising: a casing having a bottom, side walls,and end walls; said end walls rising above said bottom a greaterdistance than said side walls; guideways formed on said end walls andhaving arched upper portions; and a pair of iexible panels mounted forsliding movement in said guideways; each of said panels being ofsubstantially the same size and their combined extent in the directionof said guideways being sufficient to cover the opening at the top ofthe casing and to slightly overlap the upper edges of said side Walls;and a handle member on each panel adjacent their meeting edges; .saidmembers combining to form a virtual single handle for carrying purposes.

' 9. A utility container comprising: a casing Ihaving a bottom, sidewalls, and end walls; said end walls rising above said bottom a greaterdistance than said side walls; guideways formed on said end walls andhaving arched upper portions; ,and a pair of flexible panels mounted forsliding movement in engagement with said guideways; each of said panelsbeing of substantially the same size and their combined extent in thedirection of said guideways being sufficient to cover the opening at thetop of the casing and to slightly overlap the upper edges of said sidewalls; said guideways extending down the outer faces of the side wallsto the bottom of the casing and being unobstructed at their lower endsto provide ready removal of said panels.

JAMES W. JAQUET'IE.

VIRGINIA R. JAQUETTE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 298,340 Berghofer May 13, 1884655,926 Freed Aug. 14, 1900 1,107,985 Moskowitz Aug. 18, 1914 1,510,103Perkins Sept. 30, 1924 2,107,997 Horsley Feb. 8, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTSNumber Country Date 287.977 Great Britain Apr. 5 1928

